Goodbye to Dad

Today is two weeks since we took Dad to Oxnard Obon and one week since he passed away. It’s been a couple of difficult years as our family maneuvered through the challenges of Alzheimer’s, memory care, and aging. Dad loved golf, gambling, going to Obons and Nisei Week with us. He used to go fishing up in the Sierras every April and went to many Manzanar Pilgrimages over the years.

A second generation Japanese American Nisei, Dad was born on a cantaloupe farm in the San Fernando Valley and was incarcerated with his family at Gila River, Arizona as an 11 year old. At 16, he was a live-in “school boy” for the director/producer of the Ozzie & Harriett radio show. He was a gardener while he went to Woodbury College and worked in finance and aerospace until he retired.

He and Mom were married 62 years and he lived 94 years and 5 months. He was really proud of his kids and grandkids. 2/14/1931 ~ 7/19/2025.

Rest in Peace, Dad. F-A-M-I-L-Y.

Love, Jenni

Maiya's 7th Bday Mottainai Party

We celebrated Maiya's 7th Bday Party again at the park by our house.  Seems like every year gets bigger, this year about 75 people came, having invited the basketball team, friends from school, old preschool friends, and extensions of family.  I'm thinking that this might be the last year of a party of this size.  Big as it was, we still managed to do a fairly green low-waste party.  Plastic utensils and reusable party chopsticks go in the bucket, Grandpa Larry's coffee mugs, no single-use drink containers, cloth tablecloths, recycled paper plates, hot pots for tea and coffee.  I'm always amazed at how little trash is in the trash can at the end of the day.  The main thing we take home to recycle is the 1/2 gallon juice and 2 liter bottle sodas.

 During arts and crafts time, the kids made Tenegui towels... which they later needed for learning the Mottainai dance from Auntie Nobuko, who came and did a little obon dance workshop, teaching the kids the dance.  It was a lot of fun to watch the kids and parents joining in.

 Then afterwards, we went back home and celebrated Grandpa's birthday at our house.  The kids always bring out the yogurt cups every time they come over.  We just can't get rid of them.

Until next bday, peace out!

(Posted on: 10/25/12)

February 2011 Happenings

NaBloPoMo#4 is going to be the recap of February 2011. I honestly don't know if I'm going to have the time and energy to update a whole year, but we'll see where this goes.  On the 1st of the month, Maiya turned SIX years old.  That crept up pretty quickly.  We forgot to take a picture until after shower time, thus the robes with wet hair.  Notice the candle in the manjuu, her favorite treat.

My Dad turned 80 years old, so we had a surprise party and Roast for him at my sister's house.  We invited a bunch of his old gang, plus some golf friends.  

We also celebrated Maiya and her friend Eve's 6th bday party at school.  We've been friends with Eve's parents since 15+ years ago, so it's been nice that they're in the same class, and have birthdays in the same month.  I brought chocolate manjuu, as I did the two previous years at Maiya's preschool bdays. (Class photo removed)

Our friends, Scott, Emily and Tula (Maiya's sistahfriend) came to visit from Detroit.  We manage to see them about 3-4 times a year.  Scott and Grace Lee Boggs published a book of Grace's speeches, writings and ideas.  That led to a sleepover for Maiya and Tula.

 

Of course, being on the Board for Great Leap (where I worked from 1997 to 2004), means our annual fundraising event.  This year instead of the LA Marathon, we participated in the Chinatown Firecracker 5K.  Maiya actually walked the 5K with us, and did the 1K for kids by herself.  Me and Maiya raised about $1,500 for Great Leap from generous friends/family sponsors.

At the end of Maiya's first basketball season playing bball, her team went to the year end event where they handed out trophies for all the teams.  Afterwards, we invited the whole team and their families over for a potluck.  It was a lot of fun.

Peace. Out.

Grandpa Walt's Bday

Dad turned 79 on Valentine's Day.  Here we are celebrating lunch with family and some Panda Express.  Everyone except me seems to go there quite often, I actually had never had it before.  It wasn't bad.  I made an organic sweet potato mochiko dessert that turned out pretty yucky.  Don't know what happened, it came from the Senshin cookbook.  Anyways, I must have done something wrong, or my stove runs too hot  Anyways, we had a nice time.  The kids are growing up so fast.  They made foam photo frames.